VIA pairs the EPIA SN series with its latest CN896 IGP chipset, a first for a mini-ITX motherboard. The VIA CN896 IGP features a DirectX 9 compliant Chrome9 HC graphics core with hardware MPEG-2 acceleration. The EPIA SN series allows users to expand graphics capabilities with a single PCIe x16 slot.

Other notable features of the VIA EPIA SN series include two DIMM slots with support for up to 4GB of DDR2-667, four SATA 3.0 Gbps ports, one IDE port, a Compact Flash connector and dual Ethernet. VIA targets the EPIA SN series for network attached storage, digital signage and point-of-sale uses.

“With the VIA EPIA SN-series we have listened to our customers and delivered a number of key technology firsts to the Mini-ITX form factor,” said Daniel Wu, Assistant Vice President, VIA Embedded Platform Division, VIA Technologies, Inc. “I am proud to say that VIA has again raised the bar to develop a Vista-ready mainboard that meets the ever-increasing demands of the embedded industry.”

Expect the VIA EPIA SN series to enter mass production next month, with channel availability in November.